Happy New Year! I hope you have had a great holiday and had lots of opportunities to go riding.

This is a long message, but read all the way to the bottom for exciting opportunities!

Junior MTB Club will start up again on Tuesday 2 February, remember we ride away at 4.30 so get there a little early to make sure you are in the right group.

Please make sure you have your name plate on your bike with your emergency contact details on the back of the plate – this helps us if there is an accident or mechanical issue to know who to call. The name plates for people who haven’t already got them should be here by the start of the year.

If you haven’t already done so over the holidays, please check that your bike is in good condition for the start of the year, as a minimum:

Tyres are in good condition and correctly inflated

Brakes, front and rear are adjusted and working well

Chain is lubed and moving well (not rusty, seizing or slipping)

Gears are working properly

Handlebars are secure and have end caps

No loose bits and rattles

If you are not sure about fixing your bike, go and see the team at CyclePath Bright who have been great supporters of Alpine Cycling Club’s Junior program.

It is vital that all riders are carrying water – if you can’t fit a bottle holder on your bike, then you will need to carry a small backpack with a drink bottle, or a hydration pack – you cannot rely on sharing water with other riders.

A reminder that all juniors participating in Alpine Cycling Club Junior Club activities must have up to date MTBA membership – if you have recently renewed or joined MTBA please email me your membership number and expiry date – you will not be allowed to attend without MTBA membership – if you are bringing a friend along, they can take advantage of MTBA’s 8 week free trial offer.

As always, we cannot run our junior activities without the support of parents and friends, so see if you can get Mum or Dad, a grandparent, or friend to come along and help out with the rides, there is a group for everyone!

You may know that the National MTB Championships will be held in Bright this year, 17 – 20 March and we will need lots of help to make this event the best ever; keep an eye out for information about volunteering at the Nationals – we also need a number of juniors to help out as ‘Podium Assistants’ over the four days; you will work in pairs at each presentation ceremony, holding the tray of medals and winner’s jerseys for the official to present. This is a great opportunity to represent our club, so if you are interested, please drop me an email, if we have more people than needed, we will draw from a hat.

In 2015 Alpine Cycling Club started its Junior Athlete Award to recognise and assist a junior rider (13 – 18 years) pursue their dreams in any cycling discipline; the recipient of the 2015 award was Callum Grant, with William Webb as the runner up. Applications for the 2016 award will soon open for juniors who are Alpine Cycling Club members and who live in the Ovens Valley, take a look at the Club’s website for more information.